David and Samantha Cameron join Gravesend's Vaisakhi celebrations
- Published
David and Samantha Cameron took part in the Vaisakhi celebrations
David and Samantha Cameron joined thousands of people celebrating the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in Kent.
The prime minister and his wife attended the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Gravesend on Saturday.
He took part in the nagar kirtan (procession) and was given a tour of the Gurdwara, which is thought to be one of the largest outside India.
It was Mr Cameron's first visit to Kent during the general election campaign.
Mr Cameron was due to deliver a speech in the main hall but as he was about to arrive a senior priest apparently objected to prayers being interrupted, so the address was moved to a side room after some heated scenes.
Vaisakhi celebrates the new harvest season and is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar.
It also celebrates the founding of the Sikh community known as the Khalsa.
Up to 10,000 people were expected to take part in the festivities, which saw a procession set off from the temple at about 11.30 BST and then make its way through the town before returning to the Gurdwara.
Gurjit Bains said thousands of people from all walks of life were joining in the celebrations
Gurjit Bains, of the Gudwara's executive committee, said: "This will be our biggest ever. Every year we've grown, we've got people from the Medway towns and some of our stallholders are from Birmingham as well so it's a big mix of people.
"There are not only people from the Sikh community here, they're from all walks of life.
"We have so many people who are not Sikh coming [to the celebrations] and it's really, really nice to see that."
The Gurdwara is thought to be one of the biggest outside India
Anne-Marie Bunting (Liberal Democrat)
Tan Dhesi (Labour)
Adam Holloway (Conservative)
Mark Lindop (Green)
Sean Marriott (UKIP)